THECAST

THECAST

Ludlow Street's new speakeasy-style shopping for guys. By Naomi Nevitt

"We've always felt close to home being down the sidewalk from Motor City," says Chuck Guarino, who along with Ryan Turner makes up downtown menswear designers THECAST. After an idea sparked the duo's interest two weeks ago to start a shop, the burgeoning bespoke designers transformed the basement of a Lower East Side tenement—which formerly housed their design studio—into a cavernous new flagship. "The decor doesn't look new by any means," says Guarino. "It's a hacked up ceiling with exposed brick arcs and a beat-up concrete floor with a coat of polyurethane—old New York meets brothel meets atelier."

With tomes of pornography from the 19th century, deep jewel-toned walls, and taxidermy peering about the low-ceiling space, the shop operates much like an underground prohibition-era speakeasy where dapper men come to get their fix of vice and fashion. "And if you're lucky, we'll have cracked a bottle of St. Germain with hot cider," Turner says.

But, of course, the true treasures to be found are the duo's selection of occult-printed scarves, tailored suiting, and deep denim as well as a selection of exclusive collaborations with jewelry designers Black Sheep and Prodigal Sons. "We banged everything out in a matter of just two weeks," Guarino confesses. "And the magic of course will still be designed behind the curtain in the back."